FORESTRY COMMISSION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 13, 20 May 1913, Page 3

FORESTRY COMMISSION.

.(). [Pub Press Association.] ' " Wellington, May 19. Iu the course of his evidence before ; forestry Commission (to-day; Mr Jordan, Tinder-Secretary of Justice, stated that| the employment of prison labour by jibe Department bad been ' satisfactory!. It seemed to be the only tiling that had any reformative influence wl atever on prisoners. Some of the , prisoners did not like camps, and had asked to be- 'taken back to gaol. They found that they had to work too hard, and wanted to be back tbe downs, where > they. could hear the latest news. It had to be remembered that the cost of prisoners in camps, was almost double that of the average gaols. The Justice Department ■was not.allowed'Bnything'fbr the 7 work of prisoners. -'Th'e Harimdr tree-plant-ing camp was the lea'st possible of those rim by the Department. “It occurred to me,” witness added, “that we might close it up; in fact we propose to dp so as far as the Department is concerned.” In reply to questions, witness said it would be better to have one camp in each Island, and concentrate pn tree-planting by means of prison labor. Dr. Hay, Inspector of Mental Hospitals and Prisons,., quoted figures showing that in 1911 the cost of planting one thousand trees, including clearing the ground and digging pits, was £1 5s at Waiotapu, £2 Gs at Hanmer, and £1 9s at Waipa.